Thinking of going on the Epic in 2013

[egamigal]

My fiancee and I have been looking at the epic for a couple of months now and have been dying to go. We have been doing a bit of research and there are a few rooms we are interested in, but we are having a hard time choosing. The first room we were looking at was the studio. We like the set up the room and the fact that it is closed off from the rest of the ship. Now it is small, and I am one to pack the whole house to go on a week cruise (I like to make costume changes throughout the day). Even though I like the location and the look of the room it is very expensive for two people in that small room. Our other option is the spa balcony. I love the idea of actually being able to use the spa during my trip, but I don't know if I would use it that much to consider that room to be worth the price. The last choice is just the aft balcony. The only reason we were looking at this was because it was the cheapest of the options we liked. I have never had an aft balcony before, and I really don't know what I would be getting into being in this room. I would really appreciate some help in making a decision.

[sdmike]

Studios are intended for solo cruisers. I'm not sure you can even put 2 people in one.

 

Both the spa balcony and aft balconies would be great. The only downside to the aft balcony is the ship vibration when maneuvering. The Epic does not have azipods so it relies on side thrusters and tricky work with the main screws to maneuver during docking. This causes vibration that wakes most aft passengers. :)

[ColinIllinois]

As Mike said the Studio rooms are great for one person but don't even consider it for two.

[Starry Eyes]

ditto on two on a studio...too small for too much money for a couple...let the solos have them.

 

I was recently in an aft balcony. the views are great. it is a bit of a walk to the elevators, but for many people that is no big deal. our hallway was very quiet. we are generally early risers, so the thrusters noise was a nonissue. You may want to look at the itinerary times...Would you be sleeping during the hour or so before you are scheduled to arrive in port? Or are you likely to already be up or ready to get up to start your day ashore.

 

I have not stayed in a spa balcony on Epic. I have had one on another line...we had cool rainy weather, and I used the spa for an hour or so a day on average..DH did not use it. You could also consider spa or posh passes.

[4774Papa]

Consider an Aft-Balcony. Great place to see the World.

[SliceOfLife]

What about a regular balcony or an inside room (not a studio)?

 

I had my first aft balcony on the Epic and I would not recommend it due to vibrations day and night. The vibrations when you pull into port are different than those you'll at night as the ship is going to it's next destination. It became very annoying to me the amount of motion/vibration in our room. Also, you could hear the music at night coming from Spice. I had a corner aft on deck 12.

[KandJCruising]

I'd second the option of picking a balcony you want and get a spa pass, assuming you'll use the spa enough to justify getting one.

We did an aft balcony last year and other than the vibrations when docking it was nice.

[insighttoronto]

Although some have dismissed the idea of the Studio cabins, you could book two connecting studio cabins if the price and OBC combination is right. I've traveled as a solo traveller in a Studio and it's possible to fit two people into a cabin :rolleyes:

 

You also mentioned the Spa cabins. Some reviewers of the Spa cabins were disappointed that they could have booked a regular balcony and then bought a couple's spa pass for $199 for the week instead.

 

Regardless of the cabin you pick, I'm sure you'll enjoy the rest of the ship. :)

[egamigal]

. The only downside to the aft balcony is the ship vibration when maneuvering. The Epic does not have azipods so it relies on side thrusters and tricky work with the main screws to maneuver during docking. This causes vibration that wakes most aft passengers. :)

 

I wonder why they did not add Azipods....:confused:

[jdvmd]

The only downside to the aft balcony is the ship vibration when maneuvering. The Epic does not have azipods so it relies on side thrusters and tricky work with the main screws to maneuver during docking. This causes vibration that wakes most aft passengers. :)

We did a cabin crawl during a thruster maneuver. It was absolutely horrible. There is no way I would ever book one of those aft cabins on the Epic.

[nyyhoneybee]

 

You also mentioned the Spa cabins. Some reviewers of the Spa cabins were disappointed that they could have booked a regular balcony and then bought a couple's spa pass for $199 for the week instead.

 

Regardless of the cabin you pick, I'm sure you'll enjoy the rest of the ship. :)

 

Not if you want your own personal in room hot tub!

[egamigal]

Although some have dismissed the idea of the Studio cabins, you could book two connecting studio cabins if the price and OBC combination is right. I've traveled as a solo traveller in a Studio and it's possible to fit two people into a cabin :rolleyes:

 

We thought about that option as well that would give us the option of having seperate bath areas since one of us takes forever to get ready.

[sdmike]

I wonder why they did not add Azipods....:confused:

 

When they designed the Epic several ships were having significant maintenance issues with the azipods, including ships from NCL, Princess and RCI. They decided to go with a more traditional setup that was considered far more reliable.

 

Here's an interesting little blurb on the issue, including a picture of her huge propellers

 

http://malcolmoliver.wordpress.com/2011/07/03/epic-exclusive-to-pod-or-not-to-pod-2/

[sdmike]

We thought about that option as well that would give us the option of having seperate bath areas since one of us takes forever to get ready.

 

You're a perfect candidate for the Epic balcony bathrooms. All components of the bathroom are separated, allowing one person to be in the shower while another at the mirror or toilet.